1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of tools for use by hair salon professionals. More specifically the present invention relates to a highlight testing tool, tool set and method for use by the professional hair stylist to intersperse into the hair of a salon customer a series of streaks of removable try-on highlight hair of different colors and tones so that the customer can select which one she considers to be the optimum highlight color and tone for her hair, and so that the hair stylist can subsequently proceed with applying the selected highlight to the customer's own hair.
The present tool set includes the testing tool which preferably takes the form of a hair clip having a clip frame for engaging strands of hair at the crown of the customer's head to anchor the tool to the crown of the head and further includes preferably two substantially parallel and spaced apart first and second arm portions protruding from the clip frame for directing forwardly on the customer's head. The tool set further includes at least two and preferably sixteen sets of first and second hair retaining structures since the industry provides streaks of sixteen different colors and tones. Each hair retaining structure preferably is a hair retaining tube sized to fit snugly and removably over either of the arm portions, to which spaced apart groups of try-on highlighted hair strands are connected. The arm portions extend forwardly, so that the streaks of try-on highlighted hair drape generally downward from the crown of the customer's head along customer's own hair, where they are interspersed temporarily for testing.
Therefore throughout this application the invention as a whole is referred to as the tool set, which includes a tool made up of a hair clip and preferably first and second arm portions protruding from the hair clip. The hair retaining structures can be any elongate structures to which are secured spaced apart groups of laterally extending strands of try-on highlighted hair, once again referred to herein as streaks. As noted, the hair retaining structures preferably each take the form of a tube to which the streaks are attached and which removably slides over one of the arm portions. This specific type of hair retaining structure is referred to herein as a hair retaining tube. Several sets of hair retaining tubes having streaks of different colors and tones are provided so that they can be mounted on the tool one after another so that the customer can see which color or tone is the best match for the hair of the particular customer.
The hair clip preferably includes adjacent upper and lower clip structures between which the customer's own strands of hair are engaged. The upper clip structure preferably includes forward and rearward clip cross members and first and second arm portions joined at their ends to define a generally rectangular clip frame. The first and second arm portions respectively preferably extend across opposing ends of and are fastened to the forward and rearward clip cross members. The lower clip structure preferably is connected to and protrudes forwardly from the rearward clip cross member and extends across and below the forward clip cross member so that the lower clip structure passes close to or vertically abuts the forward clip cross member. As a result, strands of the customer's own hair can be pushed and thereby compressed between upper and lower clip structures to engage the customer's own hair and hold the tool in place on the customer's head. The lower clip structure preferably is configured as a strip following a high amplitude sign wave, rather than as a solid panel, to be more flexible and to better engage strands of customer hair.
The arm portions preferably are ductile to permit them to be manually bent to follow the slight curvature of the individual customer's head prior to being fitted with the hair retaining tubes. The hair retaining tubes preferably are flexible along their lengths to fit onto the curved arm portions. More specifically, the arm portions preferably are flat, elongate strips of a ductile metal such as aluminum. The hair clip preferably is formed of light-weight spring steel, and preferably is covered or coated with shrink-wrap to be smooth and soft to the touch.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Professional highlighting of hair is a service long provided by hair salons. A problem has been in selecting a highlighting color or shade which is a good match to hair of a particular customer. Selecting the right highlighting has been largely a matter of chance, and as a result what is needed is a way for a customer to reliably test and select a highlight color or tone before it is applied to the customer's hair.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a professional tool and tool set for the styling professional that intersperses tool set try-on highlighted hair strands with existing salon customer's own hair to simulate highlighting of the customer's own hair and which is removable, so that the customer and her styling professional can make a visual pre-evaluation to determine in advance whether the highlighting is a good aesthetic match for the customer's own hair, and to a method of using the tool set.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a professional tool and tool set which include a hair clip and several hair retaining structures to be removably fitted to the hair clip and to which a variety of different colors and shades of try-on highlighted hair are attached.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such a professional tool which can be manually adjusted such as through bending to fit and conform to the size and shape of an individual customer's head.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a professional tool and tool set which is simple in construction so that its operation is quickly understood by a beautician or other hair professional working in a salon and it is easy for such a professional to fit the highlight testing tool to a customer's head in minimal time.
It is finally an object of the present invention to provide such a highlight testing tool which is highly inexpensive to manufacture, sturdy and reliable.